Mining machine having means for cutting side wall holes for roof timbers



July 19, 1960 s. c. MOON MINING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR CUTTING SIDEWALL HOLES FOR ROOF TIMBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1956 NW 1 NEINVENTOR,

sTERLiNG C. MOON, BY

HTT'Y July 19, 1960 s. c. MOON 2,

- MINING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR CUTTING SIDE WALL HOLES FOR ROOFTIMBERS Filed Nov. 23, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, '5TERUNG C. MOON,55

W El 8 3 55 Q H-r'rx July 19, 1960 C. MOON MINING MACHINE HAVING MEANSFOR CUTTING v SIDE WALL HOLES FOR ROOF TIMBERS Filed Nov. 25. 1956 4Sheets-Sheet ,3

w mo M C m G m L R E T 5 July 19, 1960 s. c. MOON mums MACHINE mwmcMEANS FOR cumuc SIDE WALL HOLES FOR ROOF TIMBERS Filed NOV. 25, 1956 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR, sTElQLJNG C. MOON, w M

. fiTT Y United States Patent MINING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR CUT- TINGSIDE WALL HOLES FOR ROOF TIMBERS Sterling C. Moon, Dublin, Ohio,assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of OhioFiled Nov. 23, 1956, Ser. No. 623,915

10 Claims. (Cl. 262-7) This invention relates to mining machines, andmore particularly to a mining machine which includes laterally directedcutting means for cutting into the side walls of the mine to form holestherein for the reception of timbers which span the roof of the mine andsupport the roof to prevent the collapse thereof.

It is the prime object of the instant invention to provide an improvedmining machine which includes laterally directed cutting means adaptedto be fed into the side walls of the mine for cutting holes therein, forthe placement of roof supporting timbers which span the roof of themine.

It is a further object of the instant invention to provide an improvedmining machine which includes laterally directed cutting means adaptedto=be progressively fed into the side walls of the mine as the machinecontinuously advances during the mining operation, to form holes in theside walls for the reception of roof supporting timbers spanning themine roof.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide an improvedmining machine including a digging head at the front end of the machine,which is vertically adjustable and provides a support for a laterallydirected cutting means which is thereby adjusted with the coal digginghead, and in which the laterally directed cutting means is adapted tocut into the side walls of the mine adjacent the roof to provide holesin the side walls for the reception of roof supporting timbers.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide an improvedmining machine which includes a digging head at the front end of themachine provided with digging means adapted to cut into the mine face inan area extending beyond the sectional perimeter of the machine to forma tunnel substantially larger than the machine, and further includeslaterally directed cutting means supported on the digging head withinthe perimeter of the machine with means for vertically adjusting thelaterally directed cutting means and for feeding the laterally, directedcutting means beyond the perimeter of the machine, to form holes in theside walls of the mine immediately below the roof thereof for thereception of roof supporting timbers which span the mine room.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novelfeatures and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a mining machine embodying theinstant invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the mining machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the front end of themining machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the front end of the miningmachine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view in section of certain oper- "ice atingelements of the laterally directed cutting means of this invention;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view partially in section of the laterallydirected cutting means of this invention, with the cutting means shownin elevated position; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 in Fig. 6.

The instant invention is illustrated in the drawings as embodied in acontinuous mining machine 10, which includes a main frame 11 serving asa support for the various operating elements of the machine. Endlesstraction means 12 of a conventional form are provided on either side ofthe machine and serve to propel the machine during the transportationthereof and during the mining operation. At the front end of the miningmachine 10 there is provided digging means 13, which will be describedin greater detail hereinafter. Immediately below the digging means 13there is a dozer blade 14, which is placed on the floor of the mine andis adapted to scrape therealong, and also forms a slide for the minedmaterial to move up on to the endless chain conveyor 15, which extendslongitudinally of the mining machine 10 from immediately below thedigging means 13 to a boom 16 at the rear of the machine from which thecoal, or other material that is mined, is discharged to shuttle cars, aconveyor belt or other means for removing the material from the miningsite.

The main frame 11 is provided with a forwardly extending support frame17 which is pivotally mounted on the forward end of the main frame 11 bypivot means 18. The support frame 17 carries the dozer blade 14 at itsforwardmost end and also forms a support for the endless chain conveyor15 which is entrained on the support frame 17. The support frame 17 alsosupports the digging means 13, which is pivotally secured thereto bypins 19.

v The digging means 13 comprises a lower digging head 22 and an upperdigging head 23, placed one directly above the other. Each of thedigging heads includes a plurality of forwardly extending shafts 24 eachof which carries, at its forward end, a radially extending digging arm25 extending to one side of the shaft so as to be eccentrically mountedthereon. Each of the digging arms 25 is provided with sets of forwardlydirected cutting bits 26 which, during the rotation of the shafts 24 andthe digging arms 25, cut into the mine face to dig the coal or othermaterial therefrom.

Since the digging arms 25 extend to only one side of the shafts 24, thecutting bits 26, carried by the digging arms 25, will operateeccentrically and those cutting bits 26 located adjacent the perimeterof the mining machine 10 will cut on an area of the mineface thatextends a substantial distance beyond the sectional perimeter of themining machine 10. The digging means 13 thereby cuts a tunnel in themine which is substantially larger thanthe sectional dimensions of themining machine 10, thereby permitting free passage of the mining machine10 in the tunnel thus cut. At such time as the mining machine 10 ismerely traveling in the tunnel formed by the digging means 1 3 withoutperforming any mining operation, the digging arms 25 are rotated to suchpositions that they are placed within the sectional perimeter of themachine 10 out of contact with the walls of the tunnel. Referring toFigs. I and 2, it is seen that the cutting bits 26 on the digging head23 extend substantially above the top of the mining machine 10, and thatthe cutting bits 26 at the sides of the machine 10 extend substantiallybeyond the sides to achieve the aforementioned result of cutting atunnel in the mine that is substantially larger than the sectionaldimensions of the machine. 7

The upper and lower digging heads 22, 23 are driven from a pair ofmotors 27, supported on the main frame 11 behind the digging heads 22,23. The armature shafts of the motors 27 connect to gearing containedwithin a gear casing 28 from which there extends a pair of shafts 29.These shafts 29 are connected to drive shafts 30 by universal jointmeans 31. The drive shafts 30 are inclined downwardly from the gearcasing 28 and are connected at their lower ends to driven shafts 32through universal joints 33. Each of the drive shafts 30 includes ashear pin coupling 34 which yields when the drive shaft 30 is subjectedto an excessive load, and a telescoping section 35 which may be extendedor contracted when the digging heads 22, 23 are adjusted as describedhereinafter. Each of the digging heads has secured to the rear wallthereof a gear box 36 to which the driven shaft 32 is connected and itis from the gearing contained within the gear boxes 36 that the diggingmeans 13 is driven. It will be understood that the gearing rotates thedigging arms 25 in a predetermined order so that they will always clearone another in the course of their rotation. Since the digging arms 25on the upper digging head 23 are set back behind the digging arms 25 onthe lower digging head 22, it is merely necessary that the rotation ofthe digging arms 25 in each of the digging heads, be coordinated withthe rotation of the digging arms 25 in that digging head, without regardto the digging arms in the other digging head. Accordingly, the drivesto the digging heads 22, 23 are 'mutually independent.

The digging heads 22, 23 are mounted as a unit on the support frame 17,being connected thereto by pivot pins 19. The digging heads 22, 23 maybe tilted forwardly on the pivot pins 19 to the position 40 in Fig. 3. Ahydraulic cylinder and piston mechanism 41 is provided one at each sideof the machine for the purpose of tilting the digging heads 22, 23forwardly, and the cylinder and piston mechanism 41 is connected to themain frame 11 by a pin 42 and is connected to the digging heads 22, 23by a pin 43. Suitable hydraulic control means are provided for expandingand contracting the cylinder and piston 41 to tilt the digging heads 22,23 as desired. Forward tilting of thedigging heads 22, 23 causes thecutting bits 26 on the digging arms 25 to cut downwardly whereby themining machine 10 will follow a descending path.

The support frame 17, which is attached to the main frame 11 on thepivot means 18, may also be vertically adjusted, and for this purposethere is provided cylinder and piston mechanism 44, one at each side ofthe machine 10, connected to the main frame by pin 45 and connected tothe support frame 17 by pin 46. Suitable hydraulic control means isprovided for operating the cylinder and piston mechanism 44 to swing thesupport frame 17 on its pivot 18 between the positions 47, 47 as shownin Fig. 3. Adjustment of the support frame 17 also adjusts the positionof the digging heads 22, 23 since these are supported by and carried onthe support frame 17. The digging heads 22, 23 may be adjustedrelatively to the support frame 17 to maintain the cutting bits 26 in avertical plane.

As a further adjustment of the digging means 13 the upper digging head23 is mounted on the lower digging head 22 for vertical adjustmentrelatively to the latter to dig on an area of the mine face having agreater height. The upper digging head 23 is provided with a verticaltrack 48 at each side thereof, which receives a mating guide 49 which isengaged in the track 48 at each side of the digging heads 22, 23. Theupper digging head 23 may be vertically adjusted with respect to thelower digging head 22 by sliding the upper digging head 23 along theguide 49, the vertical tracks 48 in the upper digging head 23 serving tomaintain the two digging heads in proper alignment, and the guide 49guiding the vertical movement of the upper digging head 23. A cylinderand piston mechanism 50 is provided for adjusting the upper digging head23 with respect to the lower digging head 22, and is connected at itslower end by a pin 51 to the lower digging head 22 and at its upper endby a pin 52 to the upper digging head 23. Suitable hydraulic controlmeans is provided for expanding the cylinder and piston 50 to raise theupper digging head 23 with respect to the lower digging head 22.

Immediately behind the digging heads 22, 23 there is provided alaterally directed cutting means 55 adapted to be fed transversely ofthe mining machine 10 into the side walls of the mine .to' cut holestherein for the reception of transversely extending timbers or beams,which are placed immediately below the mine roof for the purpose ofsupporting the roof and preventing its collapse. In Figs. 1 and 2 it isseen that the laterally directed cutting means 55 is located within thesectional perimeter of the machine, and when it is desired to cut theholes in the side walls of the mine the laterally directed cutting means55 is fed out laterally of the mining machine 10 to either side thereof.

The laterally directed cutting means 55 is carried on the upper digginghead 23 and is raised vertically therewith when the upper digging head23 is adjusted with respect to the lower digging head 22. As seen inFigs. 1 and 2, the digging arms 25 and the. cutting bits 26 cut asubstantial distance beyond the laterally directed cutting means invertical and lateral directions. Accordingly, the roof of the mine willbe formed a substantial distance above the laterally directed cuttingmeans 55 and, in order to cut the holes in the side walls of the mineimmediately below the roof, it becomes necessary to elevate thelaterally directed cutting means 55 to the level of the uppermostcutting bits 26, which will place the cutting means 55 in a positionimmediately below the roof of the mine. The mechanism for accomplishingthis purpose is described hereinafter. When the laterally directedcutting means 55 has been elevated to a position immediately below theroof of the mine, it is then fed laterally into the side Walls to cutthe holes therein for the reception of the roof supporting timbers.

The laterally directed cutting means 55 is mounted on the upper digginghead 23 by means of a slide frame 56. One such slide frame 56 isprovided at either side of the upper digging head 23, and each slideframe 56 independently supports a laterally directed cutting means 55,there being one such laterally directed cutting means 55 on each side ofthe mining machine 10. In the normal course of operation the laterallydirected cutting means 55 on the opposite sides of the machine are bothadvanced simultaneously in opposite directions to cut holes in the sidewalls of the mine, in corresponding positions opposite each other forthe purpose of placing a timber across the mine roof for supporting thelatter.

The slide frame 56 is formed with guides 57, 58 each of which isreceived within a vertically extending track 59, 60 respectively, forguiding the movement of the slide frame 56 in a vertical directionrelatively to the upper digging head 23. The guides 57, 58 are formed atthe forward ends of plates 61, 62 respectively, which plates aredisposed in vertical planes. To the rear of the plates 61, 62 there issecured, as by welding or like means, a laterally extending guide 63.The guide 63 is formed with an upper track 64 and a corresponding lowertrack 65, both said tracks 64, 65 being disposed horizontally andextending laterally of the mining machine 10. A support 66 for thelaterally directed cutting means 55 extends in a lateral directionbehind the guide 63, and is formed with guide lugs 67 which engage inthe tracks 64, 65 of the guide 63. four guide lugs 67, two of whichengage with each of the tracks 64, 65. It is thus seen that the support66 is adapted to slide on the guide 63 from a position in which thesupport 66 and the cutting means 55 carried thereon is positioned withinthe perimeter of the mining machine 10 to a position in which thecutting means 55 is disposed in a position extending beyond theperimeter of the min,

The support 66 is formed with ing machine, whereby the cutting means 55is operative to cut into the side wall of the mine.

The laterally directed cutting means 55 comprises a cutter bar 70 whichis secured to the support 66 by a plurality of bolts 71, which in thepresent embodiment of the invention, number four. The cutter bar 70provides a track 72 within which there is placed an endless cutter chain73, the links of which comprise sockets 74 for the reception of cuttingbits 75, each of which is secured within a socket 74 by means of a bolt76. The cutting bits 75 and the various sockets 74 in the length of theendless cutter chain 73 are disposed at varying angles, so that the cutproduced by the successive cutting bits 75 is wider than the cutter bar70 permitting the latter to be easily withdrawn from the cut. In Fig. 6the positions of the various cutting bits 75 in the endless chain 73 areshown in broken lines.

Behind the cutter bar 70 there is provided a driven sprocket 77 aboutwhich the endless cutting chain 73 is entrained, the endless cuttingchain 73 being driven by the sprocket 77. As seen in Fig. 4, the cutterbar 70 is formed with four slots 78 for the reception of the bolts 71.Thus the position of the cutter bar 70 on the support 66 may be adjustedby loosening the bolts 71 and shifting the cutter bar 70 relatively tothe support 66. Below the cutter bar there is provided a threaded pin 79which is threaded into the threaded opening 80 in the support 66. Thethreaded pin 79 has a collar 81 secured thereto and abutting a shoulder82 formed on the underside of the cutter bar 70. By loosening the bolts71 and rotating the pin 79 by means of the collar 81 a force is appliedto the shoulder 82 on the underside of the cutter bar 70, and the lattermay be shifted in a direction tensioning the endless cutter chain 73.This adjustment may be made for the purpose of taking up wear in theparts of the cutting chain 73, or to adjust the tension in the endlesscutting chain 73 according to the material thatis being cut.

The endless cutting chain 73 is driven by the sprocket 77 about whichthe cutting chain 73 is entrained. The sprocket 77 is mounted at theupper end of a vertical shaft 83, and this shaft projects downwardlybelow the support 66 where there is secured thereto a worm wheel 84. Onthe underside of the support 66 there is formed a gear casing 85 withinwhich there is rotatably supported a worm 86 that is engaged with theteeth of the Worm wheel 84 to rotate the shaft 83 and thereby operatethe endless cutting chain 73 through the sprocket 77. The worm 86 isdriven by a hydraulic motor 87 which is secured to the support 66 belowthe cutter bar 70. Suitable piping connections are provided for thehydraulic motor 87 from the hydraulic system of the mining machine forthe purpose of operating the motor 87 and controls are included foroperating the motor as desired.

Since the digging arms 25 on the upper digging head 23 cut an area ofthe mine face which extends above the top of the mining machine 10 andabove the top of the upper cutting head 23 it is apparent that the roofof the mine is formed at a distance above the upper digging head '23 andthe mining machine 10. Accordingly, the laterally directed cutting means55 must be elevated above the top of the upper digging head 23 to formthe holes in the side walls of the mine for the reception of timbers tobe placed immediately below the roof of the mine to support the same.For this purpose there is provided a hydraulic cylinder and pistonmechanism 88 which is interposed between the upper digging head 23 andthe slide frame 56. The cylinder and piston mechanism 88 is secured tothe upper digging head 23 by a pin 89, and is secured to the slide frame56 through the medium of an L-shaped arm 90, which is welded to theslide frame 56, and to which the cylinder and piston mechanism 88 issecured by a pin 91. The cylinder and piston mechanism 88 is normallyexpanded, and to elevate the laterally directed cutting means 55 withrespect to the upper digging head-23 the cylinder and piston mechanismis contracted. Conventional hydraulic control means is provided foroperating the cylinder and piston mechanism 88, and this is connected tothe control station of the mining machine 10. The guides 57, 58 on theslide frame 56, ride in the vertical tracks 59, 60 respectively, andguide the vertical movement of the laterally directed cutting means. Theupward limit of adjustment of the cutting means 55 is determined by thedimensions of the cylinder and pistonmechanism 88. In Fig. 3 there isillustrated the uppermost adjusted position 92 of the upper digging head23 with respect to the lower digging head 22, and the uppermost adjustedposition 93 of the cutting means 55 with respect to the upper digginghead 23.

When the cutting means 55 has been positioned vertically, as abovedescribed, to place the cutter bar 70 and the endless cutting chain 73immediately below the roof of the mine, the cutting means 55 may then befed laterally of the machine 10 into the side wall of the mine to cut ahole therein for the reception of a transverse roof supporting timber.In Fig. 4 there is illustrated the forward end of the mining machine 10and the two laterally directed cutting means 55 are shown, one in normalretracted position disposed within the perimeter of the machine 10, andthe other in projected position wherein it extends beyond the perimeterof the mining machine 10 into the side wall of the mine.

- As previously described, the support 66, which carries the cutter bar70, is mounted by means of lugs 67 on the horizontal transverselyextending guide 63, which is a part of the slide frame 56. it will beapparent that the support 66, with the cutter bar 70, is adapted to moverelatively to the guide 63 in a direction transversely of the miningmachine 10. Hydraulic cylinder and piston mechanism 95 is utilized tofeed the cutting means 55 laterally of the mining machine 10. Thehydraulic cylinder and piston mechanism 95 is secured at one end by apin 96 to the end of the guide 63, and at its other end is secured by apin 97 to the support 66. As seen in Fig. 5, cylinder and pistonmechanism 95 is normally ex tended, and to feed the support 66 laterallyof the mining machine 10 the cylinder and piston mechanism 95 iscontracted. Suitable hydraulic connections are provided for the cylinderand piston mechanism 95 for the purpose of operating the same, thesebeing controlled by conventional devices from the control station of themining machine 10. e 1

At the rear of the slide frame 56 there is secured by welding orequivalent means, a pair of fearwardly extending cars 98 between whichthere is rotatably mounted a roller 99. The roller 99 is adapted to rideon the upwardly facing surface 100 of a stop plate 101 that is securedto the main frame 11 of the mining machine. The surface 100 of the stopplate 101 and the roller 99 cooperate to define the lower limit ofmovement of the laterally directed cutting means 55. Thus, when thesupport frame 17 is lowered by means of the hydraulic cylinder andpiston mechanism 44 to its lowermost position, as shown by the brokenlines in Fig. 3, it will be understood that the digging heads 22, 23will also be lowered since they are secured to the support frame 17 bythe pin 19. However, it is desired that the slide frame 56 and thelaterally directed cutting means 55 not drop below the position shown inFig. 3, in order to prevent these parts from interfering with otherparts of the mining .machine 10. In this event the roller 99 rides onthe surface 100 of the stop plate 101 and, since the latter is a fixedelement, operates to maintain the slide frame 56 and the cutting means55 in a fixed vertical position.

These is a constant danger in a mine of roof breakdowns and for thispurpose it is customary to place timbers acros the roof and to wedge thetimbers against the roof for the purpose of supporting it and preventingthe hazardous breakdown. The laterally directed cutting means 55,described herein, is operative to cut into the side walls of the mineimmediately below the roof for the purpose of forming holes thereinwithin which transversely extending timbers may be placed for thepurpose of providing support for the roof. The transversely directedcutting means 55 may be operated in the normal course of the continuousmining operation without interruption of the latter. This isaccomplished by a progressive' feed and withdrawal of the laterallydirected cuting means 55 into the side walls of the mine as the miningmachine 10 advances. Such operation of the laterally directed cuttingmeans 55 does not produce a parallel sided hole in the side walls, butrather produces an opening therein that is triangular in plan sectionalview,'t-his being so for the reason that the cutting means 55 isprogressively fed into the side wall and progressively withdrawn fromthe side wall simultaneously with the feed of the mining machine 10forwardly into the mine face during the normal mining operation. It willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that, in the use of the miningmachine constructed in accordance with the instant invention theformation of holes in the side walls for the reception of transverselyextending roof supporting timbers is accomplished concurrently with themining operation and thus avoids a separate procedure requiring the useof additional miners. With the holes being formed in the side walls ofthe mine as described herein, it then becomes a simple matter to placethe roof supporting timbers after the mining machine 10 has passedbeyond the 'holes in the mine side walls.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in'thedetails and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, andapplicant therefore wishes not to be restricted to the preciseconstruction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what itis desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a mobile mining machine having a main frame, a digging head on themain frame at the front end of the machine for digging material from amine face, said digging head including digging means projectingforwardly therefrom, traction means for propelling the mining machine tofeed the digging means into the face of a mine, means mounting thedigging head on the main frame for vertical adjustment, a laterallydirected cutting means disposed behind and adjacent the dlgglng head inan orbit having a portion thereof disposed tangentially to a mine sidewall, a slide frame mounting the lat erally directed cutting meansbehind the digging head, track means on the digging head guiding theslide frame for vertical movement relatively thereto, said slide frameincluding a laterally extending track for guiding the cutting means, andmeans to reciprocate the cutting means laterally of the mining machineon the laterally extending track simultaneously with the advance of themining machine to feed the laterally directed cutting means into a sidewall of a mine to progressively cut into the mine side wall as thedigging head continuously removes material from the mine face.

2. In a mining machine having a mainframe, a digging head on the mainframe at the front end of the machine for digging material from a mineface, means mounting the digging head on the main frame for verticaladjustment, laterally directed cutting means disposed hehind andadjacent the digging head in an orbit having a portion thereof disposedtangentially to a mine side wall, said cutting means comprising a cutterbar and an endless cutting chain carried by the cutter bar, means fordriving the cutting chain, a slide frame mounting the laterally directedcutting means behind the digging head, track means on the digging headguiding the slide frame for vertical movement relatively thereto, saidslide frame including a laterally extending track for guiding thecutting means, and means to advance the cutting means on the last saidtrack laterally of the mining machine to progressively cut into the mineside wall as the digging head continuously removes material from themine face. 3. In a mining machine having a main frame, a dig ging headon the main frame at the front end of the machine for digging materialfrom a mine face, means mounting the digging head on the main frame forvertical adjustment, laterally directed cutting means disposed behindand adjacent the digging head, said cutting means comprising a cutterbar and an endless cutting chain carried by the cutter bar in an orbithaving a portion thereof disposed tangentially to a mine side wall, adriving sprocket on the cutting means engaged with the cutting chain andmeans for driving the sprocket, a slide frame mounting the laterallydirected cutting means hehind the digging head, the cutter bar beingadjustably secured to the slide frame, means to adjust the position ofthe cutter bar on the slide frame, track means on the digging headguiding the slide frame for vertical movement relatively thereto, saidslide frame including a laterally extending track for guiding thecutting means, and means to advance the cutting means on the last saidtrack laterally of the mining machine to progressively cut into the mineside wall as the digging head continuously removes material from themine face. v 4. In a mining machine having a main frame, a digging headon the main frame at the front end of the machine for digging materialfrom a mine face, said digging head including digging means projectingforwardly therefrom, means mounting the digging head on the miningmachine for vertical adjustment relatively thereto, said digging meanscomprising digging arms adapted to dig beyond the top of the miningmachine to form a roof in the mine which 'is spaced above the miningmachine, laterally directed cutting means carried on the digging head,means for vertically adjusting the laterally directed cutting meansrelatively to the digging head to a position adjacent the mine roof,means for advancing the laterally directed cutting means laterally ofthe main frame adjacent the roof to cut into a side wall of the mine atthe level of the roof, and stop means disposed between the main frameand the cutting means to fix the lowermost position of the cuttingmeans.

5. In a mining machine having a main frame, a digging head on the mainframe at the front end of the machine for digging material from a mineface, means mount ing the digging head on the main frame for verticaladjustment, laterally directed cutting means disposed behind andadjacent the digging head, a slide frame mounting the laterally directedcutting means behind the digging head, track means on the digging headguiding the slide frame for vertical movement relatively thereto, meansfor vertical adjusting the slide frame on the digging head, said slideframe including a laterally extending track for guiding the cuttingmeans, means to advance the cutting means laterally of the miningmachine, a stop plate on the main frame, means on the slide frameadapted to engage with the stop plate to fix the lowermost position ofthe slide frame relatively to the main frame.

6. In a mobile mining machine having a main frame, a digging head on themain frame at the front end of the machine for digging material from amine face, said digging head including digging means projectingforwardly therefrom, traction means on the main frame to continuouslyadvance the mining machine forwardly and feed the digging means into theface of the mine, laterally directed cutting means carried on thedigging head for advancing the cutting means forwardly with the forwardadvance of the mining machine, said cutting means being disposed tooperate in an orbit which is substantially tangential to a mine sidewall, and means for advancing the laterally directed cutting meanslaterally of the main frame simultaneously with the forward advance ofthe cutting means by the mining machine to progressively cut into a sideWall of the mine in forward and lateral directions.

7. In a mining machine having a main frame, a digging head on the mainframe at the front end of the machine for digging material from a mineface, means for continuously advancing the mining machine in a forwarddirection to feed the digging head into the mine face, laterallydirected cutting means disposed behind and adjacent the digging head, aslide frame mounting the laterally directed cutting means behind thedigging head for forward advance of the cutting means with the forwardadvance of the mining machine, track means on the digging head guidingthe slide frame for vertical movement relatively thereto, said slideframe including a laterally extending track for guiding the cuttingmeans, said cutting means being disposed'to operate in an orbit having aportion thereof dispose-d tangentially to a mine side wall, and means toadvance the cutting means later-ally of the mining machine on thelaterally extending track simultaneously with the forward advance of'the cutting means by the mining machine to progressively cut into themine side wall in forward and lateral directions as the digging headcontinuously removes material from the mine face.

8. In a mobile mining machine having a main frame, a digging head on themain frame at the front end of the machine for digging material from amine face, means on the main frame to continuously advance the miningmachine forwardly and feed the digging head into the face of the mine,laterally directed cutting means carried on the digging head foradvancing the cutting means forwardly with the forward advance ofthe'mining machine, means for guiding said cutting means in an orbithaving a portion thereof disposed tangentially to a mine side wall,means for advancing the laterally directed cutting means laterally ofthe main frame simultaneously with the forward advance of the cuttingmeans by the mining machine to progressively cut into a side wall of amine in forward and lateral directions.

9. In a mining machine having a main frame, a digging head on thernainframe at the front end of the machine for digging material from a mineface, means on the main frame to continuously advance the mining machineforwardly to feed the digging head into the mine face, laterallydirected cutting means disposed behind the digging head, said cuttingmeans comprising a cutter bar and an endless cutting chain carried bythe cutter bar in an orbit having a portion thereof disposedtangentially to a mine side wall, means for driving the cutting chain,a. slide frame mounting the laterally directed cutting means on themining machine for forward advance of the cutting means with the forwardadvance of the mining machine, track means on the mining machine guidingthe slide frame for vertical movement relatively thereto, said slideframe including a laterally extending track for guiding the cuttingmeans in an orbit having a portion thereof disposed tangentially to amine side wall, and means to advance the cutting means on the last saidtrack laterally of the mining machine simultaneously with the forwardadvance of the cutting means by the mining machine to progressively cutinto the mine side wall in for-ward and lateral directions as thedigging head continuously removes material from the mine face.

10. In a mobile mining machine having a main frame, a digging head onthe main frame at the front end of the machine for digging material froma mine face, means on the main frame to continuously advance the miningmachine forwardly to feed the digging means into the face of the mine,laterally directed cutting means carried on the min'ing machine forforward advance of the cutting means with the forward advance of themining machine, means for guiding said cutting means in an orbit havinga portion thereof disposed tangentially to a mine side wall, means foradvancing the laterally directed cutting means laterally of the mainframe simultaneously with the forward advance of the cutting means bythe mining machine to progressively cut into a side Wall of a mine in,forward and lateral directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,480,733 Morgan Jan. 15, 1924 2,198,163 Gullick Apr. 23, 1940 2,548,952Crossland 2.. Apr. 17, 1951 2,694,562 Snyder et al. Nov. 16, 19542,699,328 Alspaugh et a1 Jan. 11, 1955 2,770,448 Miller Nov. 13, 1956FOREIGN PATENTS 595,019 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1947 OTHER REFERENCESMining Congress Journal, July 1953, page 44.

Mechanical Loading of Coal Underground, by Ivan A. Given, McGra-w-HillBook Co., Inc., N.Y.C., 194 3, pages 337339.

